Israel urges snapback sanctions on Iran if it breaches uranium limit

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged world powers on Monday to step up sanctions against Iran swiftly should it go through with a plan to exceed an enriched uranium limit set by a 2015 nuclear deal.

Locked in a stand-off with Washington after the Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear agreement, Tehran said earlier on Monday it would breach internationally agreed curbs on its low-enriched uranium stock in 10 days.

“Should Iran deliver on its current threats, and violate the nuclear deal, the international community will have to implement, immediately, the pre-set sanctions mechanism, what is called ‘snapback sanctions’,” Netanyahu said in a speech.

“In any event, Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weaponry,” Netanyahu added, reiterating a long-standing, if veiled, threat to take pre-emptive military action.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weaponry.